Game-board for producing magic squares



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' (No Model.)

J. D; VAN BIBBER. GAME BOARD FOR PRODUCING MAGIC SQUARES, PLAYING GHEGKERS, 6w.

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(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

J. D. VAN BIBBER.

GAME BOARD FOR PRODUCING MAGIC SQUARES, PLAYING GHEGKERS, 8w.

' No. 300,534. Patented June 1'7, 1884'.

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LlN T-ED STATES. PATENT VOFFICEQ I JAMES I). VAN BIBBER, OF-SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI.

GAME-BOARD FOR PRODUCING MAGIC SQUARES, PLAYING CHECKERS, dc.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 300,534, dated June 17, 1884.

' Application filed February 29, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

5o bet in capitals and small letters.

Be it known that I, JAMES D. VAN BIBBER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Greene and State of 'M-issouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Instruction and Amusement, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to'improvements in devices for instruction and amusement, the object of which is to provide an addition-ta ble by the arrangement of numbered blocks that will foot the same in every column in either direction, up or down and from one side to the other, and combined with the same a checker-board and checkers, also alphabetical blocks. These objects I attain by means of the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a view in elevation, showing the entire device. Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are detailed views.

D represents a box of any desired size and depth, having a cover, A, which is marked off in squares b 1), preferably an odd number on each side, as in the illustration, nine on each side, making eighty-one squares. The central one, B, is painted or colored different from the others to distinguish it more easily. The squares are painted or colored alternately different colors, I) b, 820., so that eight of them each way from one corner, E, to E E Ff will form a checker-board, the other squares, F F F, being painted a difi'erent color to more easily define the checker-board. In this box are placed blocks (I, made in any desired shape and size, preferably the size of the squares b b, and rectangular in shape. These blocks are numbered by impressing, cutting, staining, painting, or otherwise, from 1 or any given number upward consecutively, preferably from number 1 upward consecutively to the square of an odd number, as 3, 5, 7, &c., or 9, as shown, making eighty-one blocks. On the back of these blocks may be placed any desired design by painting or otherwise, but preferably, as shown, the letters of the alpha- Twelve of the said blocks are painted or formed to be easily distinguished from the others to be used as checkers.

The device is designed, principally, as an atplacing the frame 0 over the marked board or cover A, as shown. Said frame is composed of several pieces, a c a, &c., which are hollow squares, or squares having the center removed to expose a square on the cover. These pieces are hinged to each other, 0. The smallest piece, 0, exposes nine squares, three eachway, the center one, 'B, always being in the center as the pieces 0 c, &c are raised. On the nine squares exposed in thepiece c the blocks are taken consecutively and placed, as hereinafter explained, so that the footings of the numbers on the blocks in columns either way-from right to left or up and downwill be the same. To know when the blocks are properly placed will induce the child to add them. After this result is accomplished, the piece 0 is turned back, which exposes twenty-five squares, or five squares each way, on which twenty-five of the blocks taken consecutively may be placed so as to foot the same each way in the columns. When this is learned, the piece 0 may be turned back, exposing in the center fortynine squares, on which the blocks may be placed so that their numbers will foot as above; and this niay be continued to any desired extent, exposing an odd number of squares on each side, making the whole number of squares exposed equal to the square of the said odd number.

In the illustration, Fig. 2, eightyone squares, or nine on a side, are shown. The blocks are placed thus: Beginning with any desired numberas 1 in the illustrationand taking the blocks as consecutively numbered, place the first block on the square a next below the center square, B. Then, going one square to the right and below, place the next block, No. 2, and thus on with blocks Nos. 3-, 4, &c. until the squares run out, as at a. \Vhen the row of squares runs out, as in this case below, place the next block in the highest vacant square in the next column to the right of the last block placed, as block No 5 on square a. Placing again to the right and below, there are no squares to be filled at a This runs out on the right hand. Then the next block is to be placed on the farthest vacant square to the left, in the column next below the last block placed, as block No. 6 on square a. Then continue as before, placing the blocks to the right and below, until you come to the end, as above, or, as in this case, to a filled square, a. In this case drop past one square, and place the block on the next 10 vacant square below, and then continue as above. In coming to a filled square, should there be none vacant below, place the next block in the highest vacant square in the next column to the right of the one last placed. If there should be one vacant square below and no more, place the next block in the highest vacant square in the same column in which the last block was placed, and thus continue until the squares are all filled with blocks.

Having thus described the construction,

use, and operation of my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An improved device for instruction and amusement, composed of a box, D, having a cover, A, which is marked off in the square of an odd 'number of squares, combined with a frame, 0, composed of hinged pieces 0 0 &c., I

JAMES D. VAN BIBBER.

Witnesses:

S. A. HASELTINE, A. F. INGRAM. 

